Seated Cable Row
Upper backCompoundPullCableBeginner
Seated horizontal pull on a low pulley. One of the best exercises for mid-back thickness and scapular retraction.
Visual guide
Reference photo — start and end of the movement.
How to perform
- 1.Sit with your feet on the platform and knees slightly bent.
- 2.Grip the handle with your torso upright and arms extended.
- 3.Pull the handle to your abdomen, driving your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades.
- 4.Return under control to full arm extension without rounding your back.
Common mistakes
- ●Rocking the torso back and forth for momentum
- ●Not retracting the shoulder blades at the end
- ●Shrugging the shoulders
- ●Rounding the lower back in the stretch
Proper technique
Keep your torso nearly still and vertical. Squeeze your shoulder blades as you pull and keep your elbows close to your body. Control the return without letting the weight yank your torso.
Variants
Other exercises that work the same primary muscle.
muscle map
primary
secondary
Primary
- Lats
- Mid traps
- Lower traps
- Rhomboids
Secondary
- Biceps brachii
- Rear deltoid
- Teres major
- Spinal erectors
- Infraspinatus
- Teres minor